Phil. 2:15. You shine as lights in the world,
Phil. 2:16. holding fast the word of life,
As stars shine in the darkness, so you too, being righteous among the unrighteous, strive to shine all the more. For the expression "in which you shine" (φαίνεσθε) should be taken in the imperative sense. "Holding forth the word of life," that is, having within yourselves the seed of life and intending to continue living thus, and already now having within yourselves the pledge of salvation. Or: just as luminaries shine and enliven bodies by warming them, so you too strive to be a life-giving force for the rest of mankind.
Phil. 2:16. To my boasting in the day of Christ.
Let your virtue, he says, be such that it not only leads you to life, but also shows me more glorious at the coming of Christ.
Phil. 2:16. I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.
My glory consists in the fact that I raised you to be such people, and that my labor among you was not in vain.
Phil. 2:17. But if I am even poured out as a libation upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.
Although, he says, I also die, for he calls death a sacrifice, "I am being poured out as a libation upon the sacrifice and service of your faith," that is, having first made you a sacrifice to God, having dedicated you to the service of God and having first made you believers. But in view of death I am not in the least grieved, but I rejoice and rejoice together with you all. I rejoice that I am becoming a sacrifice, and I rejoice together that I bring your faith to Christ as an offering.
Phil. 2:18. For the same cause also do ye joy
Rejoice that you yourselves also have been offered as a sacrifice.
Phil. 2:18. Rejoice with me.
I am bringing myself as a sacrifice, and I rejoice in this.
Phil. 2:19. But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also, having learned of your circumstances, may be encouraged in spirit.
As with everything else, he attributes the sending of Timothy to Christ as well. I am confident, he says, that he will make it easier for you, on the one hand, to be comforted in spirit when you learn through this letter about my affairs, namely that the preaching of the Gospel was proceeding successfully and that the schemes of the enemies were destroyed; and on the other hand, for me also to be comforted when I learn about your affairs, about which Timothy must give me a precise report.
Phil. 2:20. For I have no one of equal zeal, who would so sincerely care for you,
I could, he says, have sent another, but there is no one equal to me in zeal except this one, that is, one who cares about your affairs as I do, who would sincerely, that is, in a fatherly manner, look after you. Notice how he cares: when he himself did not have a convenient time to come to them, he sends others, so that those under his guidance would at no time give themselves over to carelessness.
Phil. 2:21. All seek their own interests, and not those of Jesus Christ.
That is, they seek their own rest and safety, since no one would freely wish to undertake such a journey. He says this both in praise of Timothy and at the same time teaching his listeners not to seek rest; for whoever seeks it does not seek the things of Christ. Alas! How far we are from Christ!
Phil. 2:22. But you know his proven worth, because as a son to a father, he served with me in the gospel.
You yourselves, he says, are witnesses that he served me as a son serves a father, not only in bodily needs, but, what is far more important, in the preaching of the Gospel. Therefore, as my son, he is worthy of honor, and as a servant of God — all the more so. Through this he commends Timothy to them, not so much bestowing honor on him as doing good for them; for if they heed him as one most worthy, then from his word they will, of course, receive benefit and be deemed worthy of the highest reward.
Phil. 2:23. I hope therefore to send him presently, so soon as I shall see how it will go with me.
When I see what outcome my affairs will have, I will immediately, that is, without delay, send him.
Phil. 2:24. I am confident in the Lord that I myself also shall come to you shortly.
I am not sending Timothy because I have completely given up on coming to you, but so that, as I have already said, in the meantime I may be gladdened by learning of your affairs. Note how he makes his coming to them dependent on God, saying: "I am confident in the Lord," that is, if God so wills.